Single-Sex Schooling

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Single-Sex Schooling
Public education needs to look at all choices.
Friday, October 27, 2006; Page A22

STUDIES OF single-sex education are all over the map, with no one really knowing how effective it is. Still, the decision giving public schools greater freedom to offer all-boys and all-girls instruction is right because of one known certainty: Traditional schools just are not working for a large number of children.

Single-sex education largely disappeared from public schools as a result of the landmark 1972 Title IX law that banned sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. Single-sex instruction was largely limited to gym and sex education classes. Schools for one sex were allowed if a similar school existed for the other sex. The Education Department, in rules announced this week, opened up the field by saying schools can offer single-sex education as long as enrollment is voluntary and if "substantially equal" coeducation is offered to the excluded sex.

Civil rights groups and women's advocates are right to be concerned about possible abuses that could arise from differing assessments of what is "substantially equal," a phrase that, in truth, does give one pause. The past is rife with instances of separate not being equal. But with appropriate safeguards and oversight, communities should have the option to meet the growing demand for single-sex schools. Parents should be able to obtain the appropriate schooling for their children without always having to pay the high tab for private school.

No doubt same-sex schooling is not for everyone and should be offered only under well-thought-out conditions. There is, for example, serious dispute over who would benefit most. Some believe that girls are disadvantaged in traditional classrooms and perform better by themselves. Others contend that low-income children would be helped, while another school of thought argues that high school boys would do better if separated from girls. Such uncertainty points up the need for better research.

Local school districts that want to experiment with single-sex instruction should be encouraged to adopt a meticulous research protocol to demonstrate what works or doesn't work. Then a serious discussion can begin.

I my era there were Boys high schools,Girls high schools and coed ones. They were attended by choice. There was no problem than and should be none now. The academic community and social do gooders should be more concerned with providing a quality education than IMO nonsence such as this.

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In my experience, school sucked and not because of the presence of the opposite sex.

Develop stimulating curricula. Foster, encourage and reward motivated teachers. Fund research into innovative teaching methods and implement those that work. That would be the way to encourage learning, it seems to me.

But then, I don't have a Ph.D in Education.

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This is going to be a long-winded bookmark. In general, I think of same-sex schooling like uniforms. It's not necessary for most schools. However, there are kids for whom it might be better. Atlanta is experimenting with this in the next few years and I'm interested to see how it does. I'm specifically thinking of middle school and higher.

http://www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/news/single/single_index.htm

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I think it's one of those concept/ execution things. I don't object to the concept per se, but it matters a lot to me how it is executed. Do the boys only schools get better teachers, more resources, etc.? (As I understand it, that was often the case in the past.) What is the bullying situation? Etc., etc.

I do have an instinctual "ack no" reaction, but I know that there are other situations in which "segregation" (an automatic "ack" word) really demonstrably works better, such as with deaf kids.

I would question the findings of this study* though because one thing I've found in closely following education for many years is that often ANY unusual/ innovative educational approach will yield results, small-scale. It goes something like this... it is usually the most motivated and skilled teachers that take on such a project, and usually the most motivated and involved parents who depart from the status quo to get involved in it. This results in a sample that is predisposed towards success, no matter what the actual innovation may be.

So the real test for me is when it becomes more widespread, and it's the average teachers and status quo parents that get involved. Then what?

*I skimmed the opening post and thought it was about a study recently written about in the NYT. "STUDIES OF single-sex education are all over the map, with no one really knowing how effective it is" supports what I'm saying in some ways. For me that's job one, determining whether it's actually effective.

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Wrote my thesis on this issue....can't say that I found any conclusive support on either side of the debate.

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Re: Single-Sex Schooling

au1929 wrote:

I my era there were Boys high schools,Girls high schools and coed ones. They were attended by choice. There was no problem than and should be none now. The academic community and social do gooders should be more concerned with providing a quality education than IMO nonsence such as this.

Apparently your choice of a school did not include a decision to attend one which taught basic grammar.

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I didn't go to a single sex school, but we were separated into girl/boy classes, and as far as I remember, I liked it and thought that we (girls) excelled in subjects that are usually dominated by boys (math, science).
For a shy, timid and introverted girl, a single sex class is much more
nurturing as a co-ed, at least it was for me.

My 11 year old daughter on the other hand, is quite assertive and she has become academically competitive with the boys, although I have to say, that the boy/girl ratio in her class is 1:4. I might think differently once
she enters high school.

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Single- sex education might be a good thing, except for the fact that life in today's modern world isn't
single-sexed.

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Re: Single-Sex Schooling

Sturgis wrote:

au1929 wrote:

I my era there were Boys high schools,Girls high schools and coed ones. They were attended by choice. There was no problem than and should be none now. The academic community and social do gooders should be more concerned with providing a quality education than IMO nonsence such as this.

Apparently your choice of a school did not include a decision to attend one which taught basic grammar.

Happy now that you had your orgasm??

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I went ot a single sex school and we were teamed up at times with a local male single sex school.
All but about 3 of the guys that I met from that school have a horrid way of treating women.
Wether its down to their insecurities I dont know, but sadly I have the wrong view of guys in general.
Education wise -I think just sitting at the front of the class is the best way to learn wether single sex school or not, you dont get distracted by whats going on as all you can see is the teacher and the blackboard.
Socially-Im either shy around guys or the opposite, people on here may have noticed I (unconsciously)pick fights if I feel a guy is criticising us ladies.

I think going to a mixed school would have been better, if you grow up around both sexes you can interact more.

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Re: Single-Sex Schooling

au1929 wrote:

Sturgis wrote:
au1929 wrote:

I my era there were Boys high schools,Girls high schools and coed ones. They were attended by choice. There was no problem than and should be none now. The academic community and social do gooders should be more concerned with providing a quality education than IMO nonsence such as this.

Apparently your choice of a school did not include a decision to attend one which taught basic grammar.

Happy now that you had your orgasm??

Yes! Yes! Y -e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e- e-e-arrgggggggggggggh-e-e-e-e-e-s-s-s-s-s-s-s Whew! Oh boy!

Oh man that felt good...felt even better the second time Smile

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Eew...

[spraying lysol all over my computer screen]

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Sorry about that blacksmithn...lost control.

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Just watch out where you point that thing!

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I had sex once (but only once) while I was at school. Is that single sex schooling? He he It was behind the bike shed.

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I've watched several British programs on this very topic and it seems that education used to be taught geared to the male way of learning. It was then over-corrected to the female style of learning, which is why boys are now failing at record rates compared to girls, and the classes boys and girls do best in are the ones in which they are together. (Please excuse that very long sentence; I don't want the grammar police after me)

Boys and girls have very different learning styles and if only educators would implement both, we'd have that problem licked. That's not all educators should, do but it's a good suggestion for this topic.

Socially, I think it's asinine to separate the two - they're bound to meet up eventually, aren't they? LOL Best they learn how to interact with one another earlier than later.

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Mame wrote:

- they're bound to meet up eventually, aren't they?

Why? Why spoil a good thing of keeping the men with the men and keeping the women out?

(just kidding here Mame)

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Mame wrote

Quote:

Boys and girls have very different learning styles and if only educators would implement both, we'd have that problem licked. That's not all educators should, do but it's a good suggestion for this topic.

Well, most educators don't. In fact, ever since my child is in school, I have less and less faith in their abilities. Just yesterday I got upset when my daughter told me that in a "person-of-the-year contest" one of their teachers insisted the kids vote for Bush Evil or Very Mad

Luckily the kids had more
sense, this is liberal California after all.

Quote:

Socially, I think it's asinine to separate the two - they're bound to meet up eventually, aren't they? LOL Best they learn how to interact with one another earlier than later.

Mame, the issue is not the interaction with boys/girls, it has to do with
dominance. Girls are just more intimidated by boys, especially in certain age groups. They learn how to interact with one another in due time,
I have no doubt about that Wink

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Sturg, I know you're kidding Smile

CJ - I think it's silly to segregate the kids... they spend the other parts of their lives integrated, why not in schools?

I cannot agree that the issue is dominance. I never felt intimidated by boys, and never heard that expressed by any female. I have 6 sisters and there wasn't a whisper of it.

Re your lack of faith with educators in general, I completely agree. They focus on some things at the wrong ages, go about teaching certain topics in the wrong way, and fail to allow for thinking outside the box. The system limits instead of encourages.

This is a sore point with me. I enrolled my daughter in French Immersion in Grade 6 for two reasons, one of which was she was not being educated in the English system - too much catering in class to non-English speaking children. In her Science class, the teacher didn't have a text, didn't take notes, didn't have handouts, and didn't write on the board. They did everything by memory. Why? Because they don't read English. Uh... my kid does! And how are they going to learn if they aren't taught? Isn't this part of school?

Once she attended French Immersion, her grades shot up.

(stepping off my soapbox now).

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Well, I did well in an all girls class as I was painfully shy and intimidated
by boys. So it helped me. However, my daughter is quite dominant herself
and she can handle everything, so I don't have to worry about her - plus
she is in a co-ed class, but I might think differently when she enters
high school.

That's interesting Mame. If I understand you correctly, your daughter
was first in an English speaking school and in 6th grade you enrolled
her into a French immersion school. Did she speak French prior to that?
I am just asking as we have a new international (French) school around
the corner and I am toying with the idea of enrolling her there next
year (she would be in 6th grade then). So far she's taught Spanish
and German, and I would like for her to additionally learn French.

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Single-Sex Schooling

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